


Wake Up, Smell the Roses

by ZipZoom



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hospital, Gen, Hospitals, Post-Game(s), Spoilers for the entire 3rd game honestly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:53:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28918635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZipZoom/pseuds/ZipZoom
Summary: This AU was created by pippings on tumblr! I took inspiration from her artwork!
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Medical sedation, implied gore (canonical gore), if I need to tag more things please say!

As the only three survivors from the 53rd killing game stood together, battered and bruised, a silence fell among them. There was a brief moment of questioning, as glass fell from the sky (like deadly, pointed, raindrops). Was it really over? Could they return to life before? Would they be able to return to life before?

Surprisingly, it was Maki who spoke up first. Voice hoarse from screaming. “Where do we go now?” She asked, words nothing more than a pained whisper. The other two stood in contemplation. Where could they go now? They had just learned that everything they knew, every person they had met, was fake. Nothing more than a fabricated memory etched into their brains. Was there anybody waiting for them?

Suichi took a breath, closing his eyes for a mere moment before deciding to talk. “Forward, I guess.” He said, stepping outside the dome border.

And then his vision faded to white.  
  


* * *

  
Kaede Akamatsu, the eldest twin, the hobby pianist, the nihilist, had woken up first. The last thing she could remember, the pain of her neck squeezing shut, the thumping in her head, the thorns digging into her skin, the pain was enough to jolt her awake.

She was in a frenzied state at that point, angered and confused. She fought like a wild animal, attempting to grasp at any straws that would help explain her surroundings. It wasn’t until she was heavily sedated that the doctors were able to discuss anything with her.

“Good morning, Kaede.” The doctor spoke in a sing-songy tone, her lips curled up in a smile. “I’m sorry, this all must be very hard for you to take in.” She sighs, folding her hands on her lap. Kaede doesn’t speak, watching the other woman’s movement with wide eyes. “Let me explain the situation to you, at least a little.” Her expression changed, for a mere moment, to something that resembled pity. Kaede almost felt safe. “What you experienced was a simulation. The people behind it, the Danganronpa Cooperation, forced you through it, in order to mold you into a warrior for their cause.” The doctor pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, exhaling softly. “You and your friends are not the only victims to such a horrible fate. So far, there’ve been fifty two other cases, marking yours as the fifty third. It’s the same every time...sixteen students, eight boys and eight girls, placed in a facility and forced to kill…” The doctor’s eyebrows drew together, causing wrinkles to form on her forehead. “...But, you must be wondering who we are, yes?”

Kaede, in her sedated state, could not muster the strength needed to speak. So instead, she nodded.

The doctor chuckled at the display, before realizing how rude that made her sound, then blushed and quietly apologized. “I am Doctor Una Bryne...back in my day I was called the ultimate therapist, though you shouldn’t feel the need to address me as such.” Another Ultimate, Kaede wondered, confusion crossing her face. “I work for the Hope Foundation. A hard working community dedicated to putting an end to Danganronpa, and all other companies like it. Our teams worked tirelessly to rescue you, your friends, and other teens like you. There is no need to worry anymore, alright? You’re in good hands.”

Doctor Bryne moved forward, placing her hand on top of Kaede’s. It was soft, and there was green polish on the nails. “Where are they?” Kaede asked, forcing sleep out of her eyes.

“They’re stuck in their coma state. They may be like that for some while. Honestly, we didn’t expect anyone to wake up so soon, normally it takes at least a week-”

“Can I see them?” She pleaded, face wet with tears.

Doctor Bryne stopped for a moment, feeling her heart sink in her chest. “You need to sleep. You can see them in the morning. If anything happens, I assure you, you’ll be the first to know.” Doctor Bryne then stood, offering one last smile to Kaede, before turning off the lights in her room.

Exhausted, Kaede fought to overcome her need to sleep, yet she faltered, and slowly drifted off into a dreamless slumber.


	2. Breakfast in Bed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Medical procedures. Nothing gorey or graphic, just descriptions of life during and post. If anything else needs tagging, please tell me!

The sun peered in through the blinds as Kaede wrestled with her sheets, tossing and turning as she huffed. It’d been two weeks since she awoke, still alone in her conscious state.    
  
Doctor Bryne had become a far more familiar face during the past two weeks, talking Kaede through most of the procedures as they happened. The doctor had a certain way of explaining things that made her feel safe, like everything was under control.    
  
“Akamatsu!” The doctor chirped, brown hair tied up into a neat ponytail. In her hands, she held a tray of what looked like steaming mush. “I have very exciting news for you.” She cheered, before placing the tray on the side table. “But first, you have to eat.”   
  
Kaede grumbled to herself. She preferred the feeding tube and iv over the slosh they made in the kitchen. “Is that...oatmeal?” She guessed, attempting to be optimistic.    
  
“I think they were trying to make biscuits and gravy? It’s an American dish, but that’s all I could say for certain.” Doctor Bryne shrugged, eyeing the dish suspiciously.    
  
“Can I get the news while I eat?” Kaede bargained, feeling her stomach tighten at the sight of it.    
  
“Oh no, missy. You’ve skipped one too many meals. You don’t get a peep out of me until you’ve finished the bowl.” Doctor Bryne crossed her arms, stubbornly. Kaede knew that the doctor was right. She hadn’t been eating well, despite needing food more than ever. She sighed, giving in to the pressure, and moving the bowl to her lap.    
  
“Oh! Good.” Doctor Bryne gave a breath of relief as Kaede shoveled the food into her mouth. Though it tasted odd, Kaede had to admit having a warm meal in her belly felt good. Especially after all this time. “Now, let me get your wheelchair.” Doctor Bryne said with a smile, as she stood from her chair.    
  
“My wheelchair?” Kaede questioned, tilting her head. “Aren’t you going to tell me the news?” She couldn’t understand the doctor’s odd behaviors, nor why the older lady was humming to herself all pleased.    
  
“It’d be better if I show it to you. Come on now, I’ll help you in.” The doctor persisted.    
“Don’t I have physical therapy today?” Kaede pressed, though she did move herself into the chair.    
  
Doctor Bryne simply laughed, like a pot bubbling over. “I cancelled your sessions for today. Now come on, come on!” She pleaded. Kaede felt herself growing more and more excited at Doctor Bryne’s enthusiasm. During the past few weeks, nothing had made her this bubbly. It was a step beyond her normal self. What could be waiting for her beyond those doors?    
  
As Doctor Bryne led Kaede down the long hallway, she peered into the other rooms, catching glimpses of what looked to be her other friends. She could see Gonta’s huge form between a crack in the door, and the reflection of Kaito’s wild purple hair in the door window. She held her breath.    
  
The two turned the corner, as Kaede began to hear some TV show playing from a room down the hall. It wasn’t anything she recognized, though the lines were all too familiar to be something she’d never seen. The two paused in the doorway of what looked like a lounge, where the TV played loudly for a boy with green hair.    
  
Doctor Bryne let go of the wheelchair, allowing Kaede to move herself closer. The boy turned around, and at once, their eyes met.    
  
“...Rantaro?”   
  
“...Kaede?”   
  
Shock was the first wave, then sadness, then overjoyed. So many emotions whirled inside their tiny bodies, like fire crackers in glass bottles.    
  
“You both woke up on the same day, but we thought it better to meet after a week or two of recovery.” The words the doctor said fell on deaf ears, as the both stared into each other's eyes, knowing yet unknowing at the same time. “I’m sorry for keeping this from you both. But for now on, no more secrets! To prove it, I’ll tell you this! Ryoma Hyoshi and Kirumi Tojo both were responsive yesterday. Of course you can’t see them yet, but-”   
  
“I’m so sorry.” Kaede spoke softly, eyes filled with tears.   
  
“It’s okay.” Rataro muttered, unable to keep himself from crying. “I’m not angry.”   
  
Kaede broke into a sob. Noticing the chair, Rantaro stood, taking his walker and making his way over to the weepy girl. From there, he dropped to his knees, taking her in his arms.    
  
Kaede’s body shook with grief, the corners of her mouth ached from the tears, her eyes stung with the influx of tears. She wheezed, coughed, sobbed into Rantaro’s shoulder, as he desperately clung to her for dear life.    
  
Rantaro didn’t cry. He didn’t need to. What he needed was right in front of him. The warm body he was hugging, the confirmation that she was, in fact, alive. And here. And not fake.    
  
And he would not lose another sister. Not again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaa! I may continue posting chapters in small chunks like this. I hope you all are okay with that! Questions? Comments? Concerns? My tumblr is @dieharddumbass !


	3. The Girl in the Photo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn a little bit about Pregame Kaede and Pregame Rantaro! Things are gettin' a bit more mysterious~! Next chapter will be a time skip, so prepare for Ryoma and Tojo!

The afternoon was warm and bright. Sun rained down through the glass window, heating the building with it’s might. Kaede and Rantaro sat, silently watching the television, as the minutes ticked on. 

“So...none of that was real?” Kaede asked suddenly. Though she had been told that weeks ago, the thought hadn’t really settled in till now. Every night spent crying in bed, every food eaten, every step taken...all fabricated. 

“I guess so.” Rataro replied, holding his head up with his hands. Kaede’s eyes turned back to the tv, fixated on the cowboy on the screen. The scene was a wide shot, displaying the cowboy and his horse as they raced through the desert, kicking up dust clouds.    
  
“Apparently, we signed up for it too.” His sights were still set on the tv before them, but his mind was far off, attempting to make sense of his own words. “Though we didn’t know it was going to be fake.”    
  
“We signed up to die?” She asked, her voice cracking. She couldn’t imagine it. She couldn’t imagine someone like Angie, or Tenko, or Kaito signing up to get slaughtered. The thought hurt her brain. 

Rantaro paused, and a silence fell between the two. Time seemed to slow, as the seconds clicked by, the movie dragging on in front of them. Finally, after what felt like hours, but what was only twenty minutes, Rantaro stood to retrieve something off a table.    
  
Kaede watched with great interest as he picked up a relatively large book, hobbling back over to his seat with an unreadable look on his face. He sat, the book open in his lap, as he began to flip through it.    
  
“What is that?” Kaede asked, leaning over in her wheelchair.    
  
“A photo album of our previous selves. The nurse let me borrow it.” He stated simply, pushing the open page towards Kaede. “This is you.”

The girl in the photo was a stranger. She stood at the same height as Kaede, had the same hairstyle, the same eye color, the same body shape. However, her eyes were hollow. There was no light behind them, no hint of hope. Her mouth was pressed into a solid frown, her eyebrows furrowed. It was clear the girl in the photo wasn’t expecting her photo to be taken. She wore an oversized black sweatshirt, with a design Kaede couldn’t quite make out, and a pair sweatpants that were slightly large on her. Nothing Kaede would dream of wearing. And even stranger still, in the photo next to her own, was another, different girl. In this photo, the two were wearing matching school uniforms, backpacks hung over their shoulders. The different girl wore a smile, her blonde hair cut shoulder length, and her appearance slightly messy. 

“Who is that?” She asked, pointing to the picture of the other girl.

Rantaro furrowed his eyebrows, lips pursing. “I don’t know. The nurse only mentioned my own family to me. Do you maybe have a sister?”

Kaede thought for a moment. Then she thought for a second. Then a minute. Until she realized that thinking was a fruitless endeavor, and that the thought she wished to come across was gone. “I...I don’t know. I don’t even remember if I have parents!” She exclaimed, panicking. 

Rantaro extended a hand, placing it on her shoulder. “Hey, hey, it’s okay.” He comforted, rubbing her back. “The nurse said that while the Dangan Ronpa project was thorough, they didn’t fabricate too many family memories, unless it was to make a motive.” He gave a soft smile. “Not many people remember their family, and it might be better that way.” 

“What do you mean?” Kaede asked, shoulders shaking.

“When I woke up, the first question I asked was about my sisters. The nurse told me that there were no sisters recorded under my name, though that doesn’t mean much. Dangan Ronpa made sure not to list family under participants, as to separate them fully from the life they once knew. While the Hope foundation has an entire section dedicated to finding victim’s families...they rarely find success.” His expression was somber, sullen almost. Kaede swore she could see tears poke out from the corners of his eyes. “You’re lucky. One of the photos Dangan Ronpa had of you, your sister was visible. It might make it easier for the Hope Foundation to track her, now.” 

“What about you?” Kaede asked, feeling her heart sink in her chest. “What  _ do _ they have, under your name?”

Rantaro paused, flipping through the book once again before stopping, and shoving the page onto Kaede’s lap. 

“This...this is the only thing they have under my name.”

The photo was a mugshot, slightly blurry, with a familiar smiling face placed right in the center of it.


End file.
